Pocket Friend
by Cheeky Slytherin Lass
Summary: In which Lee learns that volunteering to try the twins' experimental products is a bit risky.


_For the Ultimate Patronus Quest (bees: Write about someone being shrunk to miniature size)_

* * *

Lee sniffs the chocolate suspiciously, his lips drawn into a frown. "Are you sure this is okay to eat?" he asks.

Fred and George exchange glances. Lee bites back a groan. He doesn't like their hesitation.

"Well, we've made a shrinking solution before," Fred says with a grin.

"And it didn't go _horribly_ wrong," George adds.

"So, you should be good."

"Head shrinking chocolate," Lee muses, rolling his eyes. "Why did I volunteer as tester again?"

The twins clap him on his back in answer. Because they're friends. Because they've been by Lee's side for years, and he's probably the only one who trusts them enough to let them try out their new products.

Lee turns the chocolate over in his fingers. He shrugs. "What's the worst that could happen, right? So, how do you just target the one spot?" he asks, popping the chocolate into his mouth.

"Well, we're working on it," George admits sheepishly.

Lee feels the effects within seconds. His bones begin to push back, surprisingly with no pain. Except it isn't just his skull that's shrinking. His arms grow thinner and shorter, then his legs, his chest, until he's suddenly looking up at what looks like two red haired giants.

"Oh, damn," he says, turning.

A bit of dust on the floor reaches his stomach. "Suffice it to say, it doesn't target one area!" he shouts.

Fred leans down, plucking Lee from the floor. It's unnerving knowing that he fits in his friend's palm with plenty of space to go around.

"This is, uh, potentially problematic," George says clearing his throat.

"Potentially?" Lee echoes, incredulous.

He folds his arms over his chest, waiting for them to offer a solution. Several moments pass in complete silence.

"Er… I'm sure it will wear off," Fred says, offering him a reassuring smile.

Lee doesn't take much comfort in that. He's all for taking risks and having a good laugh, but not when there's no promise that everything will work out fine. He paces nervously across the length of Fred's palm.

"Any minute now," George says as Fred places Lee on the table.

A minute passes. Then another. Then ten. Even the twins grow nervous, but not nearly as nervous as Lee.

"It seems that we've hit a bit of a snag," George sighs. "You know what we have to do."

"She won't be pleased," Fred says grimly. "Maybe we could just keep him like this? Our very own Pocket Lee!"

Lee narrows his eyes, but he doubts they can tell. He's so tiny that any details of his face would probably go unnoticed. "Come on, guys. Fix me," he groans.

"We will," Fred says quickly. "Don't worry. Oh, she's going to kill us."

"Not if I kill you first."

…

Molly Weasley listens to the twins explain the situation. She purses her lips as she takes Lee from George. "Oh, you poor dear," she says, shooting her sons a dark look. "How many times have I told you two that you shouldn't test products without an antidote?"

"We thought it would wear off!" Fred insists. "How were we supposed to know he'd get stuck?"

"You can hardly blame us!" George agrees.

Mrs. Weasley sighs and places Lee on the kitchen table. "Not to worry, dear. The antidote is quick enough to brew, but the taste is unpleasant."

"Trust me, Mrs. Weasley. Nothing is as unpleasant as this," Lee says, shaking his head.

He walks across the table as she begins gathering her ingredients. Really, it is kind of cool. He could sneak anywhere like this, hide anywhere. It would have been a fun idea while they were still at Hogwarts.

Fred and George seem to share his thoughts. They sit at the table, both wearing thoughtful expressions.

"Could be a good market for it," George says.

"Spy chocolates!" Fred agrees, his lips stretching into an excited grin. "Just slip under cracks."

"Hide in people's hair and eavesdrop on them," George says, nodding.

Lee can't help but to share their excitement. Chocolate that shrinks people's heads had been a funny product. But this opens a door to a whole new type of market.

"Sell them with the antidote," Lee says, sitting down on the table. "Whenever you're done with your spying, boom! Regular size again!"

…

Mrs. Weasley sets a few drops of the potion on a saucer. Lee takes a deep breath. He feels as though he's losing a bit of dignity having to drink it like an animal lapping up water, but it beats the alternative of staying miniature forever.

He leans down, carefully sipping the solution. Mrs. Weasley had been right. It tastes awfully, like rotted cabbage and heavy salt.

"Stand back," Mrs. Weasley cautions, pulling her sons away.

Lee yelps as his limbs begin to extend and flesh out. The table seems to shrink, no longer a vast plain as he grows back to his full size.

"That was… brilliant!" Lee says, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Absolutely wicked!"

Mrs. Weasley doesn't look amused. She takes a deep breath. "No more experiments if you don't have a way to reverse them!" she says. "What would you have done if Lee had been stuck at that size?"

"We have an aquarium," George says. "He could have had a nice little home."

This is apparently not the right answer. Mrs. Weasley's nostrils flare as she grips her sons by their arms. "The gnomes are back. Go. Out. Take care of them," she says.

"But, Mum! We don't even live here anymore!" Fred protests.

"While you're out there," she continues, deaf to their pleas, "I want you to think about the consequences of your actions today."

"Yes ma'am," George sighs.

Mrs. Weasley turns to Lee, and he backs away nervously. "Lee, dear, while they're out, how about a bit of lunch. You've been through a lot today."

…

"Well. Did you think about your consequences?" Lee asks as they return to the shop.

Fred snorts. "Something like that. Well, more like we thought of ways to use the shrinking potion that Mum would definitely never approve of," he laughs.

Lee grins. "Count me in."


End file.
